One of our trial sites for Living Firebreaks.
We’re making progress on our landmark trial designed to test whether living firebreaks in WA’s South West are an effective tool for helping reduce the impact on communities and landscapes of predicted increases in climate-driven disasters like bushfire.
Four property owners from across our South West Natural Resource Management Region have stepped forward to be involved, offering great diversity in our test conditions both through environmental conditions and business operations/assets.
Our trial living firebreaks will be located in Boyup Brook, Quininnup, Balingup and Narrogin.
One participating property owner was severely impacted by bushfire in the past and is motivated to both reduce future threats and increase biodiversity on his land.
All are committed to exploring measures for responsible land stewardship.
Plantings will occur at each of the properties in June to take advantage of winter rain and species have been guided by findings of a Murdoch University study on low flammability vegetation while placement and design of the firebreaks is informed by fire scientists from the University of Melbourne’s FLARE team.
Our Living Firebreaks project includes a temperature check of community attitudes toward living firebreaks as a fire mitigation tool with human ethics approval from the University of Melbourne.
Living Firebreaks forms part of a collective effort by the NRM sector nationally, to better understand the potential for nature-based solutions (NbS) to mitigate the impacts of fire, flood and climate risks.
Nature-led resilience is an ongoing NRM Regions Australia program to improve awareness, capability, and investment for nature-based solutions that can deliver broad benefits across Australia. The first phase of this work is rolling out from 2024-2026 with support from the Minderoo Foundation.